Runaway
by DaringDani123
Summary: Did you ever think about running away? Cause I was thinking about leaving today. Running away never solves problems. If anything, it creates new ones. Sequel to Protector.
1. Prologue

I do not own Lion King, or any recognizable elements. All is copyrighted by Disney. I only own my characters that I have created for this story, as well as the plot. Please don't sue me?

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_The sun was high in the African sky. Glistening golden orange against a turquoise blue canvas, with shy, pale clouds giving little shade on the sandy desert beneath it. Scarce a wind blew in order to cool the lands. _

_However, this story doesn't take place in the desert. This story takes place in the scrublands. _

_Dry, bristly bushes dotted the landscape, with chunks of desert grasses, sharp and arid from the heat and lack of rain, alongside. The soil was mixed with sand, a dark mess. Tunnels dotted the landscape, showing that, although rugged, this place was home to some sort of creature._

_That creature was a meerkat._

_Or, rather, a family of meerkats. A mob. A colony. However you wish to put it. _

_Meerkat mobs have a hierarchy that goes back to when time began and the first mobs roamed the African wilderness. There is a dominant male and female pairing, the matriarch and patriarch, and usually it is the female that leads. There are some exceptions to this, however. They live in large family groups, and are very rarely known to strike out on their own, aside from young males seeking the roving life._

_Today, however, would be something even rarer. _

"_Max, please, think about this rationally."_

"_I've been rational long enough, Nya! We're not accepting this... this _Don-Juan-wanna-be_ into the mob. No way, no how."_

"_I don't believe it's your decision to make, Maxim."_

"_But, June -"_

"_I will not take backtalk, Max. You've made your point."_

"_Ugh! Stupid females! All alike!"_

_A young meerkat, probably just over a year old, dark headfur falling slightly into his eyes, looked on with barely restrained hope. This argument was about him. _

_He had wanted to join the mob._

_Max, the main 'kat with protest, had his back against a wall, so to speak. He was facing two females, one his age, one younger. He was old and gray, with a somewhat senile look about him, and had an outraged look on his face. "You'll regret this, June. I know it! I can -"_

"_Feel it in your old bones, hm?" The older of the two females was almost as gray as Max himself, though she had a wiser look about her, with bright blue eyes. She arched an eyebrow at the 'kat. "Max, you forget, my bones are nearly as old as yours. I think I would be able to feel it as well if I were going to regret this. But I won't. I believe this to be a wise decision." She looked to the younger female. "Nya? What do you think?"_

_Nya was a rather heavy-set female, with light fur and orange-red headfur, and bright green eyes. She looked at the young rover with appraising eyes, and finally smiled a motherly smile at him. "If my Timmy were in the same position, I'd want someone to take care of him. I'm not going to send a little thing like him out to whether the savanna alone. I would never do that." _

_The meerkat blushed slightly at her words. His own mother never said anything near as sweet to him as this female did, and she didn't even know his name._

"_Then I believe we're in agreement." June looked hard at Max. "And even if we aren't, my judgment overrules that of any protest. So suck it up, Maxy, and deal with it like an adult." She looked over at the meerkat, not caring that Max had huffed at her comment. "Now, how about your name, young'n?" _

"_N-name?" He stammered. He hadn't thought that far ahead. He rubbed the back of his neck with a paw as he struggled with the words to say. "I, uh... My name..."_

"_Yes, honey, you're name," Nya smiled at him again, and he blinked at the love they held. What was wrong with her? She didn't even know him, and yet... she was looking at him with love. Motherly love._

_He took a deep breath and answered now. "My name's Pirrai." He finally managed to say._

"_Pirrai," Nya nodded, still smiling. "Welcome to the Kazi-Kuchimba mob, dear. I'm Nya, that's June, she's our matriarch, and that gray lump of a grumpy-fur is my brother, Max." She shot a disapproving look to him. "_Older_ brother."_

"_Puh," Max rolled his eyes as he stomped away to the tunnel entrance, his arms crossed, mumbling under his breath._

_June rolled her eyes, but looked at Pirrai. She didn't share the motherly look like Nya did, but she didn't outright hate him like Max. She looked at him professionally. "Don't worry about him. He'll accept it, or he'll deal with _me_." She nodded to Nya, then walked down the tunnels herself._

"_Come on, honey," Nya took his paw and lead him towards the tunnels. She looked up at him – she was pretty short for a meerkat. He was at least a head taller than her. "You have the most... unusual eyes. They're simply beautiful." She smiled again._

_He blinked his dark gold orbs. "Oh, uh, thanks," he stuttered once more. She gave a quiet chuckle, before leading him below ground for the rest of the afternoon. _

_He sighed mentally in relief. _

_He had a home._

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WOOT! SEQUEL!

gosh, i have absolutely fallen in love with Pirrai. i've had him planned since, like, the very beginning, and i am in LOVE with him. you guys are gonna like him, i'm sure, LOL.

you guys can probably expect the next chapter or two by the end of the week, hopefully. as stated, got that new years party to crash, so i don't know how long that'll give me for writing time. i'll try my hardest, cause i am PUMPED for this. XD.

also, before i end this, i have to ask: i have recently started planning on writing a prequel to Protector, showing Isha's story. she gave Kaegan and Nato the fast version, skipping MAJOR details, and i love Faraji (her brother) and Safiya (her best friend), so i'm so excited to write the younger them. i also want to delve into Isha's character as an innocent pup, showing how sweet and mischievous she was. anywho, my question to the readers is this: shall i go ahead and write it while working on the sequel or should it wait? doesn't matter to me, but i want to know your opinions. so review and tell me: shall we start with the embarrassing pup stories on Isha?

thanks for reading! and let's hope and pray the sequel gets more reviews than Protector did, though i do value my THREE reviewers very much.


	2. Chapter 1

The sun was ever-so-slowly making its descent over the horizon. The blue of the sky was turning pink, purple, and that dark, hazy hue that accompanied the sunset. The sun, that guant orb of light and warmth, was a fiery golden-yellow in all its glory. The savanna was slowly being cloaked in shadow, the trees, bushes, and grasslands were beginning to darken with the absence of light, while the first star appeared in the shadowy skies. A herd of zebra and wildebeast stood tall in the fading light, mothers ushering their young to the relative safety of the center of the mass of animals, trying to protect the future generation of herd creatures from the nocturnal predators. In the distance, the call of a lone jackal was heard, followed by the delighted growl of a leopard.

Night was coming.

Two meerkats were making their way through the shaded underbrush. The male followed the female, turning his head in one direction, then the other, his eyes searching out hidden enemies, his nose constantly sniffing everything on the soft night breeze, winding through the brush, careful not to make a sound. His companion, however was less cautious. She scuffed her way through, her eyes focused straight ahead as she walked, going at a steady but rather urgent pace.

"Isha, it's getting dark. We should call it a day and find a place to rest," he tried to reason with her as he followed.

"We still have a few more minutes of daylight left, Nato," Isha said, looking over her shoulder at him. "We're gonna keep walking."

"But the night-time hunters will be out soon," Nato protested, glaring at her. "Do you _want_ to get eaten?"

"Do _you_ want to get further behind?" She shot back, turning to face him completely. "We've already lost too much time, three days worth of traveling was wasted. I'm not stopping until I have to."

"_Where_ are we going, anyway?" Nato growled, his eyes still narrowed. "Or do you even know?"

"We're going to find Chiku, that's where we're going," Isha snarled, her emerald eyes blazing. "We're going to the only place I can think of to look for her."

"And that is?"

"Pride rock."

Nato's jaw fairly hit the sandy ground beneath him as he took in what she said. "Pride _what_? _Pride Rock_?! You're kidding!" His eyes wide, he stared at her, taking in her glare. "You're not serious. Please tell me you're not serious."

Isha placed her paws on her hips, almost daring him to continue the conversation. "And why shouldn't I be?"

"Iesha, Pride Rock is home to a _pride_ of _lions_. Carnivores. They _eat_ things like us." Nato continued. "I'm not going somewhere I'll be treated like a walking, talking, entree. You go right ahead, if you really are suicidal."

"For one, _do not_ call me _Iesha_," Isha snarled, moving forward to get in his face. "For another, I'm _not_ suicidal. I'm _not_ going to Pride Rock, per se, to comfront any lions. I'm going to find the king's majordomo, that hornbill, Zamu or whatever his name was. He'd probably know where she would be."

Nato shook his head, growling, before arching an eyebrow and smirking at Isha. "Well, oh wise one, which way is it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Isha narrowed her eyes and poked his chest. "Listen, smarty, I can find it. I remember that Chiku said it was to the west, so that's which way we're headed."

"And you're _sure_ we haven't already passed it?" He continued on.

"Look, sassy, if you know where we are in relation to Pride Rock, speak up." Isha crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

Nato rolled his eyes. "How should _I_ know where Pride Rock is? It's a lion kingdom, for crying out loud. Why should a meerkat be interested in finding -"

"Just shut up, Nato," Isha warned, turning around. In their argument, she hadn't notice the sun disappear completely over the edge of Africa, shrouding the land in darkness. She looked up at the night sky and saw the moon shining against the black, with the stars also shedding their light. She looked back at Nato, and huffed. "Alright, wise guy, you win this time. We'll rest here."

Nato nodded, though she noticed he didn't look pleased with his victory, and started to dig beneath the bush as fast as he could.

She sighed and sat down, keeping watch. Their fights had gotten worse and worse in the last few days, after they had set off on this little journey. Originally, she had no idea where she was going to go, she just wanted to start walking again. Nato had decided to come with her. That whole day she had just walked, keeping her eyes trained on the horizon, while Nato followed, constantly asking questions as to where they were going, how long they would be going, _why_ they were going. He had asked so many questions when she said she was leaving, she hadn't exactly known how to answer, as no one had ever questioned so many questions about wandering. That first day almost drove her crazy. He was always wanting to rest, eat, or hide. It was rediculous.

But, he was a meerkat, after all. She could partly understand his need for security and all, but she didn't need any of that. She just wanted to be on her own. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

"Isha?" She blinked and looked down at him, his head poking up out of a hole. "Come on, tunnel's dug."

"Okay," she nodded and quickly dropped inside after he was out of the way. He had dug a pretty spacious tunnel cavarn, with two exits and wide walls. "You dig fast, Nato."

He shrugged as he curled up in a corner. "It was night. I was terrified that something was gonna come out of the shadows and try to eat us."

"You can be such a scaredy-'kat sometime, Nato." She remarked, curling herself into a ball to keep herself warm.

"At least I _am_ afraid," he muttered, reaching back to groom his shoulder.

Isha lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

He met her gaze, narrowing his eyes back at her. "It means that you're _brave_. You shouldn't be. It'll get you killed one day."

"At least I can stick up for myself," she shot back with a growl.

"At what cost, Isha? At what cost?" Was all he said, turning his back on her and curling back up, preparing for sleep.

Isha gaped at him, then growled quietly as she turned her back on him as well, facing the wall. She closed her eyes, but found she couldn't sleep. Of course she wouldn't be able to, after Nato had said that. She had heard the unspoken meaning behind those words.

It was like he was now placing the blame of Kaegan's death on her.

She forced her eyes shut even tighter at the thought of the young 'kat that had died only a few weeks before. It seemed like a lifetime before that she and Chiku had noticed the little scamp following them as they traveled to the Pridelands, and had decided to take him with them. While he stayed on her nerves, she had begun to see Kaegan as a brother of sorts.

Or a cousin. That especially annoying cousin whom, while you didn't want them to be hurt or anything, wished they would leave you alone.

And now he was dead because of her. They had been captured by Gerda and her 'army' of sorts. Gerda had been Isha's worst enemy. She had blackmailed her into committing the worst of crimes, then had killed her baby brother, and blamed Isha for his death. Even her own parents had believed Gerda's lies, and that cut Isha more than anyone ever had known. The only two that believed her were her older brother, Faraji (really, he was only a few minutes older, but he had never let her forget it), and her best friend, Safiya. But even they doubted her. That was why she had left.

She struggled to get these thoughts out of her mind as she relaxed her eyes, waiting for morning and whatever it would bring. She knew she had to find Chiku, whatever the cost. Even if it meant going to the lion's den, so to speak.

She made up her mind, and there was no changing it now.

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oh man, i'm SO sorry guys. as i said on my blog, the original of this chapter was lost, and my computer has officially turned into junk. my flash drive, where i keep backups of all my stories, has died, so that added to the fact that this chapter is SO long overdue. i'll try and update much fast next time, as i've found an effective means of doing it, but no promises. review? please? begging here?


	3. Chapter 2

Isha sat up unexpectedly. She blinked, rubbing a paw over her eyes to clear them, the vivid dream still clear in her mind's eye. She let out a breath, and looked around. "Nato?" She realized that she was alone. She shook her head and stood, giving a stretch. She ran her paws over her hair, smoothing it out to where it laid just as she wanted, then exited the tunnel. She blinked as the sun met her, and she inhaled the sweet, fresh savanna air. She climbed up and positioned herself towards the sun, so she could warm herself after the long night. Taking deep breaths, she struggled to rid herself of every thought that came with the dream. She never wanted to have it again.

She had been a pup again, back with her family. Her parents, Lakeisha and Hassan, her brothers, Faraji and Nanji, her sister, Luisa, and her best friend, Safiya. She had seen them as clearly as she could see the horizon before her now. Her mother's dark headfur, her father's green eyes, Faraji's dark brown ring around his tail, Nanji's freckle on the end of his little nose, Lulu's little twist to her headfur, Safiya's laugh. She could remember every tunnel, every grain of dirt, every twist and turn. She remembered the territory all too well.

But she didn't recognize the dark shadow that loomed over her family. Didn't recognize the feeling of impending doom that loomed over them. It scared her. She didn't want anything to bother her family, even if they didn't believe in her. Well, okay, she didn't care about any of the other 'kats in the colony, just her family, and Safiya. Everyone else could become hyena chow for all she cared. But where they were concerned, she didn't want anything to happen to them.

A snapped twig startled her out of her thoughts, and she quickly turned to see Natowalking towards her. She breathed out a relieved sigh when she saw it was him. "Where'd you go?" She asked when he was standing beside her in the sunlight.

"Checking out the area, trying to figure out where in the savanna we are," he answered. He yawned and gave a sheepish smile to her. "That, and I was searching out the best grub places. There's a dead log in that direction," he pointed around the south-west, "if you're interested. It smelt a little weird, but -"

"Let's eat, I'm starved," Isha readily interrupted him, gesturing for him to lead the way. They quickly arrived at the rotten log, and Isha instantly recognized the area. She eagerly ran to it, crawling inside. "Termites!" She began stuffing her mouth with her favorite treat, but then... she remembered the last time she was here. She had been with Chiku, and Kaegan. They had been deciding where to go next. She had still been stewing over that big-nosed meerkat that had ended up costing them their sleeping den.

Suddenly, those termites weren't as appetising.

"What's wrong?" Nato asked after swallowing a centipede, looking at her.

She shook the feeling off and quickly began eating again. "It's nothing. Just Kaegan, Chiku and I had called this place home for a night. Amazing that my being here didn't effect the termite population," she remarked, popping a handful of the delightful snack into her mouth.

Nato nodded his head, acknowledging what she said, and grabbed some termites for himself, sniffing the air. "Yeah, I can smell you're scent. Very faint and stale, but still here."

She nodded, blinking her eyes. "Yeah, it couldn't have been more than... three weeks at most since we were here. And, seeing as how there's been no rain lately..." she sighed. "I wouldn't mind a good rain storm, you know?"

Nato shrugged his shoulders. "The land needs rain to survive, to grow on." He looked up at the sky, thinking for a moment. "We should be getting some rain any day now."

"Mmhmm," Isha nodded in agreement. She reached out and grabbed another fistful of termites, popping them into her mouth one by one. Then, as if a cold wind had just blown inside the log, she felt a chill down her spine. The fur on the back of her neck began to rise, and she suddenly had that petrified feeling of being watched.

Of being prey.

"What is -" Nato halted mid-question, his nose sniffing the interior of the log. His eyes widened as he took in the scent. "S-sn-s-s-sn -"

"Sssssssnake? How sssssssweet. You recognizzzzze me." Isha and Nato both looked at the back of the log, and there, in the shadows, two glinting eyes stared back at them. "I sssssshall help you ssssssleep, little onesssss." Out of the darkness loomed a large cobra head, flayed out into it's hood. It's tongue flitted in and out, in and out, in and out, taking in their scent. "I wassssss about to come looking for you, little onessssss, or thossssse jusssst like you, but how nicccccce of you to come to me for oncccccce."

"Uh, uh-huh, well, you ssss- you see," Isha stammered, swallowing heavily while trying to avoid its eyes. "We were hungry -"

"Ssssssso am I, little one, sssssso am I."

"We, we didn't know someone was here. We'll leave you alone straight away," Nato said, and the two made a move for the exit, but the snake quickly curled about them, blocking the light and leaving no escape.

"What issssss your hurry, little onesssss? You aren't bothering me at all," it hissed in laughter. "Ssssssooon you ssssshall sssssleep, and I ssssshall help you to make that journey into eternal sssssslumber."

"No thanks, really. We like being ali- awake. We absolutely hate sleep," Isha chuckled nervously, trying to get over the snakes coils.

"I do not believe you have a choiccccccce, brave little meerkat. You sssssshall be mine, and you ssssssshall help me to be ssssstrong and sssssswift." It spoke in a slow, wheezing voice. It was old. But it clearly wasn't full size. It's age had not been graceful, he had not grown strong enough to hunt larger animals, so he was stuck with little, slow desert mice and aging lizards, like himself.

Isha could just make out an escape route, if she could manage to get over the snake. Nato was beside her, and could clearly see it too, as he was closer to it. Isha decided to try her luck with the snake, turning to face it with a gulp, trying to keep her knees from shaking. "Wait, wait, wait. You don't want to eat us."

"I do not want to eat you? No, little one, I really believe that I do."

"We have fleas! Mange! Disease!" She gestured toward Nato. "We have meerkatussnakeeatioma."

"What?" The snake sounded outraged. "What isssss thissss... meerkatusssssssnakeeatomia?"

"What is meerkatussnakeeatomia? You've never heard of it?" She nodded understandingly. "It's when a meerkat has snake-eating parasites living inside of him. If a snake were to ever eat him, they would be eaten from the inside out! And that is a horrible, horrible way to... uh, ssssleep."

"How do I know thissss isssssn't a trick?" The snake glared down at her. "You do not ssssssmell of dissssseasssse."

"Of course we don't. It's a hidden disease, you never know until, well, you get this really bad aches inside. Then, slowly, once it took a whole moon, you are eaten alive." She shook her head in shame. "It's awful to know we have such a problem. Snakes naturally eat us, and therefore we are ashamed that we cannot live in the proper circle of life."

The snake glared down at them, then he looked a little worried. "I think that issssss what happened to my sssssissssster!" He quickly lifted his coils and quickly pushed them out. "Out! Go away! Leave! You ssssshall not be sssssent to your ssssssleep by me!"

Isha and Nato quickly ran away from the snake's log, running all the way back to where they had spent the night, crawling into the tunnel. Nato looked at Isha, his eyes wide, still trembling. "That... was..."

"Pretty darn impressive, if I do say so myself," Isha was basking in her victory. She had saved _Nato_. "Even better than what I did to that hyena!"

"Hye- no!" Nato shook his head, glaring at her now. "That was the most stupid thing I've ever seen! 'Meerkatussnakeeatomia'? Great circle, you are an idiot!"

"Well, I saved your life, didn't I? You should be thanking me!" She said, her eyes wide with indignity.

"Yes, we're alive," he granted, "But still! We should have recognized the scent before," he berated both himself and her now. "We should have known there was a sna-"

"_We_?" Isha demanded. "_We_ should have known? Excuse me, but I thought it was _you_ that found it in the first place!"

"And I _tried_ to tell you that it smelt different!" He argued. "But you weren't listening! You just went along with your stomach, never trusting common meerkat sense!"

"I saved your life, and this is how you thank me? By criticizing me?" Isha snarled, her emerald eyes ablaze once more. "Fine! Next time, I won't! I'll let you die and save my own skin!"

"There isn't going to _be_ a next time!" Nato snarled right back, standing up. "I'm leaving!"

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how bad was the snake, guys? i wanted something to happen to spark up Nato's longing to be with a mob, and i went with this. any thoughts? i personally loved writing the snakes voice. it wasssss ssssso much fun, lol. anywho, review please, and i'll try to work some more tomorrow for the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 3

Isha gaped at him momentarily. "_Leaving_? What do you mean, you're leaving?"

"What do you think I mean?" Nato sighed, running a paw over his head. He saw the confusion in her eyes, and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same, then began. "Look... I know you enjoy this roaming, and wandering, and exploring. You're strong, stubborn, independent... You're used to being alone. I should be. I should be used to being left out, of being the outcast. But I'm _not_. I'm just a meerkat, all I ever was, all I'll ever be, and I'm okay with it. I have nothing to prove." She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her by holding a paw up. "I don't like traveling. I want to settle down someplace I can rest easy, not having to worry that a hyena or anything else is going to come out and get me. I want security, safety. Or, relative safety, anyway.

"I failed to find that snake, Isha, because I was _hungry_. I was hungry beyond the point of cautiousness. I knew it smelled funny, and I knew I should check it out before I came and got you, but... I _didn't_. All I saw was a rotten old log, full of grubs. Had an older, more experienced 'kat been there, he would have pointed out immediately that there was a snake living in that log, and that we should go nowhere near it. I'm a coward, I know. I just... I want a _home_. I don't want a den for the night. I want to have a place that I can feel loved, needed, and useful." He took a deep breath, finally getting his feelings off of his chest and out of his head. "So... I've decided to try and find a mob to join. It'll be work, I know, but at least I'll do something useful, and I'll be protected, and I'll help protect the colony."

When he talked like that, mob life really didn't sound all that bad. Isha quickly shook that feeling off; colonies weren't worth it. Sure, you got to have a place to stay, a purpose, and friends. But if you mess up, they hardly forgive you. If you get eaten, they miss you for a moment, then go back on digging. They _hide_, and if you don't hide with them, you get thrown out. Instead of voicing the thought, she simply nodded. "I understand. Where ya gonna go?"

Nato blinked, seeming surprised at how calm she was now, but shrugged. "I think I heard that there's a mob up in the scrub lands, further north, I'll go there. I'm sure they'll need another set of digging paws, another pair of eyes to be sentry."

"When'll you leave?" She decided to ask, and was somewhat shocked at how quiet her voice was.

He looked up at the sky. "I probably wouldn't get very far today, even if the sun's almost overhead. I'll wait until morning, that way I can rest up." He looked back at her, a pleading look in his dark eyes. "Why don't you come with me?"

She almost laughed. "Me? In a mob? You're kidding. No way. Besides, I still have to find Chiku."

"Iesha, please," he still tried, ignoring her glare as he said her name. "You won't survive on your own. You need a mob just as much as I do."

She scoffed, her paws on her hips. "Oh _please_. I most certainly do not _need_ a mob." She resumed her glaring. "Look, I'm okay with you going. I'm okay with you needing to join a mob. Perfectly fine. But do _not_ try to get me to go with you."

"Why not?"

She sighed, wishing he would just drop it. "Mob life just isn't for me. I'm better off on my own."

"What? Isha, that's like saying - "

"Like saying what, Nato?" She glared defiantly at him, daring him to continue. "That I want a life that's _exciting_? That I don't want to hide in deep, dark, cold tunnels at the flicker of _every_ shadow?"

"Now you're starting to sound like a free-thinker," Nato warned, his own eyes narrowing. "You're putting yourself in unneeded danger -"

"What's so wrong with free-thinkers?" Isha interrupted, growling. "Is it that they believe life can be _fun_? That we can live longer than ten minutes without our heads stuck in the sand?"

"Watch your step, Iesha. Free-thinkers _never_ prosper, or succeed in their search for a better life. Just look at 'Fearless' Buzz. See where _that_got him." Nato growled right back.

"Don't call me that!" Isha snarled, shoving Nato backwards. "And don't _ever_talk about Buzz that way. What he did only proved that meerkats can stick up for themselves. That there's more to life than the food chain!"

"Oh really?" Nato shoved her back. "Then explain to me, _oh wise one_, why didn't he succeed in this _act of bravery_?"

"Because those stupid other 'kats wouldn't help him!" Isha exclaimed, her eyes glinting with rage. "They were too focused on cowering in their tunnels to see that they could have had a chance against those hyenas! They could have _won_!"

"Yeah, but they didn't, did they?" Nato snarled. "Isha, you're _brave_. To a _fault_. You need to accept the fact that you're a meerkat and move on!"

"And why should I?" Isha shot back. "What has that mode of thinking _ever_ done for me? Nothing, that's what! Now listen; I don't care if you want to go stick your head in the sand and hide from the world of wonder around you. I don't care if you want to go hang out with a bunch of cowardly strangers and sleep in a system of closed-in tunnels instead of sleeping out under the sky where you're free. But I would _never_ fit in with mob life. Yes, I'm _brave_. But that's more than not having any fears. Matter of fact, I have _several_ fears, contrary to what you may believe, but I don't let them rule me or my life. It's more than being _brave_, Nato," she shook her head, a low growl rising up from her chest.

"Fine." Was all he had to say, dropping the subject completely like he should have probably done a while back. "So I'm to believe you'll go to Pride Rock as planned?"

"Yes. That's exactly where I'm going to go." She nodded her head. "And I plan on leaving _right now_. I'm not getting any further behind, otherwise Chiku may be too far gone to find." She stood up, smoothing her head fur. "And I'm to believe you'll stay here until morning?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do." He nodded in return, standing up and holding a paw out to her. "Then I guess this is where we part company."

"Sounds like it to me," she took his paw and shook it. "Good bye, Nato. It's been... interesting. Thank you for sticking with me this far, and thank you for... well, everything, I guess."

"And thank you for giving me hope, and freedom as well," Nato nodded his head. "Good bye."

Isha rolled her eyes, but left the tunnel, eager to be on her way. She hadn't wanted to give him the benefit of her looking back, so she simply waved over her shoulder as she began walking away, her eyes set on the direction that the sun was slowly heading. She wished him the best, really, she wasn't going to wish he would be killed or anything. He was a decent 'kat. He deserved to have a family.

Too bad she didn't.

Nato watched her go, regretting that he hadn't made her stay with him and join the mob. She'd most likely be dead before the week was out. But she'd have fought him tooth and claw, so he let her go. He also regretted that he couldn't have been more... friendly to her. She needed a friend, not a nagging 'kat that followed her around, trying to get her to give up the hope that she would find her friend. So he watched her go, softly muttering under his breath.

"Good luck."

* * *

so, what did you think? i didn't want a mushy goodbye, as they weren't really close, and they were fighting to top it off... but still. hope you guys enjoyed it, cause after this is when the fun begins! I'll try and get the next chapter up maybe tomorrow or Sunday, I'm not sure, but i'll try to have it up soon. and before anyone asks: Timon and Pumbaa WILL be in here, along with a bunch of other familiar faces. they'll end up being in the stories from this one on, so while you'll have to wait until closer to the end of this story for some good old T&P (that sounded a little weird...), from here on they'll be regulars. review, please? it makes me feel i have to get the chapter up faster, so maybe, if i get a lot, you won't have to wait long at all!

ugh, long a/n's are back. sorry guys.


	5. Chapter 4

Mid-afternoon on the savanna, and the Kazi-Kuchimba mob was hard at work. Deep below ground, the digging team was working on expanding the north wing to make more room. After all, a growing mob needed room.

On this digging team was the newest member, a young male called Pirrai. He worked hard, finding himself humming along with the mob's digging song to keep the beat. The leader of the crew, Max, was singing loudly and off-key, as always, which distracted him for a moment, but he continued to dig. He wouldn't - couldn't - mess this up.

"Hey, new guy!" He looked over his shoulder and saw his friend, Diabo, who still insisted on calling him 'new guy', even though he'd been with the group for a little more than two months.

"Yes, Bobo?" Pirrai shot back teasingly, standing up and turning to face him.

"Misty needs help babysitting," Diabo explained, "and, well, I thought you might be willing to help?"

"Why don't _you _help her?" Pirrai grinned suggestively, giving Diabo a wink. "Go show her how good you are with kids."

Diabo snorted, rolling his eyes. "I would, no, really, if I was able to keep myself from strangling that little scamp, Lenny."

Pirrai laughed at that. "What? Little Lenny giving _you_ trouble?"

Diabo sighed. "Yes, laugh it up. He got away from Misty and she asked me to find him, but I _can't_. I _really_ hope June doesn't have any more pups."

"Oh, come on, Lenny isn't _that _bad,"Pirrai rolled his eyes this time.

"You say that, but you can't mean it," Diabo shook his head. "Anyway, I know how Lenny will listen to you, so here am, begging for you to help me out."

"What's in it for me?" Pirrai asked, pretending to debate just to get on Diabo's nerves.

"I'll take over here, and you can have first pick of the grubs I bring in later on," Diabo sighed.

"Hmm..." Pirrai took in his friends helpless expression, and grinned. "Okay, okay. I'll go find Lenny. But - " he leaned closer to his friend to talk quietly. "- if you bring me back a big millipede, I'll even throw in some good words about you to Misty."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Diabo nearly dove behind Pirrai to continue digging, and Purrai quickly got to pup-hunting. He wandered up and down the tunnels, calling out for the troublesome baby, but to no success. He was down in the south-west corner of the system, heading back, paws cupped around his mouth as he called for him.

"Lenny! Lenny, come out here! Don't you wanna play with Pirrai?"

"Hello, Pirrai," an amused-sounding chuckle came from behind him. "So it's you making all the noise."

He jumped, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw it was Nya, Lenny in her arms. "Hey, Nya. I was just looking for that little trouble-maker."

"So I could hear," Nya smiled at him as she handed the pup to him, chuckling. "I found him trying to help lift support beams down in the east wing."

"I help!" The pup smiled, pointing to himself. "I big 'kat! I help lots!"

Pirrai smiled at the pup, going along with him. "Well, do you want to know how you can help me?" He nodded eagerly. "You can come with me, and we can play with Misty and the other pups."

"No! I help big 'kats, not get sitted on!" The pup persisted defiantly.

"But you _would _be helping the big 'kats, Lenny," Nya smiled at the little pup. "If you want to help the big 'kats, you'll go play. Isn't that right Pirria?"

Pirrai nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah. And you _do_ want to help the big 'kats, don't you?"

Lenny thought for a minute, his little claw held up to his chin comically, one eye closed, the other squinted. Then he nodded. "Okay. I go play with Missy and 'Rai."

"Good boy," Pirrai grinned and ruffled the pups light orange head. "Let's get to it, then!" They waved good-bye to Nya, then he carried Lenny back down to the nursery. When he got there, he set the pup down and he scampered away to play with the other two pups, Gasira and Cole. Pirrai sat with Misty, the pretty 'kat Diabo had his eye on, waving off her thanks and getting into a conversation, in which he was careful to mention Diabo. In a good way, of course. After all, he had his heart set on that millipede.

As they talked he watched the pups play, tussling and pawing at each other, rolling around in the dirt, a contented smile on his face.

_This is how life should be_.

* * *

not very long at all, i know. only 855 words. but this is just a filler chapter, it doesn't have to be long. to clear things up before anyone asks: this is Timon's mob. Nya would be Ma, and Max is, well, Max. Lenny would be that little meerkat during the 'Digga Tunnah' scene, close to the end, inbetween the two big meerkats holding the support beam, trying to help. so, technically, i don't own him. i just gave him a name. read and review?

spellcheck messed my speach-mark-thingies up, changing to ". i may have missed some, and i am greatly sorry if i did, along with misspelled words.


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